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T. N. VAIL. SUBTERRANBAN SYSTEM OF ELBOTRIGAL UONDUGTORS. No. 262,630. PatgntedAug; 15, 1882.

HIIIH I Hill ll l'llll BEST AVAILABLE COP.

. (No Model.) 3.811eeta-Sheeb 2,

T. N. VAIL. SUBTERRANEAN SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL OONDUGTORS. No. 262,630. 7 Patented Aug. 15, 1882.

nnnr n Inn/ante T",

Witnesses? BEST AVAILABLE COP UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE N. VAIL, OF BOSTON, lilASSAOIlUSE'lTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,639, dated August 15,1882,

Applicationfilcd Nofo'mherl, lfifil. No nmdel.)

To all whom it may cancer-n -Be it known that I, THEODORE N. VAIL,'of-

" Boston, in the county of Suliblk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in a Subterranean System of Electrical Oouductors, of which the following is a spcci tication.

My invention relates to underground wires for electrical systems of communication andto improved methods of laying them. r The objects of my improvements are as follows: first, to provide for use in 4 cities and other large and concentrated settlements of population a suitable system of Ii nderground lines for electrical purposes,'connected at suitable intervals by means of testboxe's or chambers, wherein the vorlr of connecting,"'inter-- changing, repairing, and-testing the wires'can' be easily and rapidly accomplished without anyextendedinterruption of thetrafiicthroiigh second, to coustructthe trenches mdftubiisfor pipes through which. the JvireSQ (cabled or loosely- ,buuched) are dra'wn,;' their testingthat-suitable testing-instruments; may be at-* ached quickly and effectually; and, fifth, to provide means and appliances whereby the-- chambers, and the joints or-eo'iii'i'ectionsbe; tween them-fin such a mannenrth'at. theyxuill" be properly protected frominjuryjby reason-of moisture or by the settling ot'either the testbox or conveying-tubes third; to provide a mode of easy. access to any particular wire; fourth, to so .a-rrangethe wires in the test-boxes wires may from any designated point be distributed readily, economicallygand feasibly to any number of termini. These objects are all S attained by the improved'appliances, devices,

and methods of construction illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter fully set forth and described in the subject-matter ot'this specification.

My inventionconsists in laying-a number of tubes or pipes in a mass of supporting and preservative material placed in a conduit or trench excavated in the earth, in the combi-.

nation of the said tubes and wires with testing-chambers, of testing or connection boards "placed in the said chambers, and of special methods of constructing and arranging such boards, so that access may readily be had to any wire.

, It consists, further, in devices adapted to protect the pipes from injury at the test-box. joint-s arising from the settling oft-est boxes or 5;; chambers, in air and watcitightjoints for the pipes at their entrance into the sai(l' chambers, of: appliances for the'connection of testing instruments, aiid'inan improved method of distrib'utin g. the variouscond uctin g-u'ires to their 60 terminatingpoints.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which fully 'illn'stratc my invention audits methods of application, Figure 1- isa-transversc section of ranged in front of one another, and the entrance of the tubes at one side. Fig. 6 is a section on the lidc .v :0 ot'Fig. 5,- 'and-- Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of a modification of a! test-- ing-chamber. In Sheet 2, Fig.8is a'horizontal 8 section, lookin g down, showing one of the test boards swung over for the purpose of making or changing connections, and also. shows wires entering from four directions. Figs. (Sf-and the folding connectingboards, and Figs. 8" and 15 show other ways of arranging the binding-screws and connecting-wires thereon.- Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of a testingvault, illustrating my improved method of 5 preventingany evil results 'from the settling of the ground Fig. 10, a section on the line 3 y of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 illustratesseveral dif-i t'erent methods of packing the tubes as they 13, and 14 illustrate several methods of making joints in small pipes. In Sheet 3, Fig. 15 shows one of the swingiugtest-b'oards at-f.

ran god with testing facilities, the instrumentmyv improved sys te1.i1'-,of--subterranean con- 6 A test chamber, showing the tcsting "boards 8o S" represent dili'erent methods of'a-rranging o enter the vaults or test-chambers. Figs. 12 too" shown being'atelephone, while Figs. 15 and 15"represent other modes of attaching the testing device; and Fig. lti shows a block of houses inclosing an area, and a method ot'con' ducting the wires from the nearesttesting-box to the said area, and from thence to the roof of one of the houses surroumline'the said area for distribution to the respective terminal points.

It will be observed that Figs. 4, 5, (l, 7, S,

8, 8 8%, and 15 all relate to and illustratethe arrangement and action of theswinging testing-boardsin the vault or chamber.

Referring now to the above drawings, my invention may be described as follows:

A is the maincasingot the wires, and is preferably constructed .byexcavating' a trench other layer of such material or cement; is-

placed,then another layer of-tubes, and so on until asutlicient number of tubes are laid for theproper accommodation of the district. The whole is then covered with a thick layer of the said material or cemen t and covered .with earth or I- m,ay laythe pipes, supported by frames in the trench, in several layers, all parallel to but not touching one another, and embed them in the material, (which may or may not be of nonconducting character,) while itis in a soft or plastic state, by pouring it over, under, and between the pipes. When cold or set it will form a casing round them impervious to moisture.

The tubes or pipes employed may be extended longitudinally to any distance, the sev' eral lengths being connected one to another in the usual manner before the pipes are sur- /roundedby the protecting-cement. These tubes may be either metallic or vitreous.

I have shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14 diti'erent methodsof connecting the lengths, of ipe one to another. Fig. 12 shows a joint in which the ends of the pipes at to be joined are provided respectlvely'with aright and left screw, both fitting as a sleeve-coupling, m, adapted to simultaneously connect both of the ends. Fig. 13 shows one of the pipe ends, flaring for the reception of its corresponding piper while in the majority of cases I prefer to construct them suifieiently large to admitiof the BEST AVAlLABLE COP ingress ot'a workman, and to allow him a convenient space l'or movement,l may. where re quired, reduce them to such small dimensions as to pcrmitot the performance of any ncccssary manipulations by a person, kneeling or stooping upon the. surface of tho'ground. As each pipe is laid in its place an iron'wire is threaded completely through it from one testchambcr to another, so that by its use the cable. or group of C()lltlll(;tlll.,-\Vll08 maybe pulled in. The size of the pipes laid will ot'-- co urse vary .accordin, to the number of wires likely to he wanted on any specialroute, but in no case should be smaller than one inch or larger than six' inches. Fig. 1 shows a numberot' pipes, 41, of the former size, tilled with insulated wires a. and embedded in the cement.-\. Iii-liigill the pipes I) used are much larger and suited-itinthe reception ot'cables or mnltipleconductorsaf. '(-)rdinarily the pipes only are led into the test- 9 the tubes (1 enter the chamber, andj this conf struction I prefer.

To prevent the ingress of moist 're drain-- age, and extraneous matter-of anycharacter,

I provide a suitable packing around each tube atthe pointat which it enters the vault. Dil fcrent methods are shown in Fig. 11. I The construction marked No. 1 shows a space left in the wall 1% of thechambcr surrounding the tubes a,wnich space is packed with yarn or hemp packing and calked. No. 2 shows the enter;

washer, is, which is compressed by a'bolt-t'ash cued gland, j. Nos. 3, 4, and 5 show'other' methods of connection, all tending to the same end. No. 3 shows an elastic washer,:. compressed between the wall, and a nut, I, screwed on the end of the tube. In No. 4a short tube, 1, is tapped into the wall, an elastic washer is placed between the ends of the tube V and tube a, and a collar provided at the ends with interior right and left threads which engage the threads on the tubes a l, respectively, and connect and hold together said tubes. No. 5 is the same as No. 4, except that in place of the short tube l there isa hollow screw-thread} ed projection, 0, in one piece with the wall.

The pipes in this system should be carefully scraped, so as to form an approximately smooth surface and prevent ebrasion of the covering of the wires when the latter are drawn in. 'iho conducting-wires should be of copper, although iron or any other suitable metal may be us zl, and in practice I prefer to employ the ordinary cotton-covered wire, generally known as chine-wire. I may use these or any other.

covered wires loosely bunched and tied togather; or I may,where found preferable, use. cables containing number of wires. The GOI1- ing ClltiOf'lilG tube surrounded by an elastic d noting-n 1157 out into-lengths, are in construc; tion drawn through from the workirig-chamber at one end ol'a section to thechamher atthe other-by means of tlu'rir'on wire-which is laid downiwiih lhe'tulnes.

For-the proper connection-oi the separate lengths ofcoiniucting-wirc to one another, as,

alsoto provide;- a-convenient meansot access to the points of connection loathe purposes.

of iuterchange'ot wires, repairs, and testing, I arrange within eachtestingehamber one or more sets of test-boards D, as shown in; the

drawings. In .liigs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8f ands". I.

have shown the maunerin which I range these folding connecting-boards. They are-tobc .iingcd by a flap-hinge or pivot-hinge, or any other w'ell-luiown-forinof hinge, as shown at poi-hi8 1,.3; 3, and it in: Fig. 8" or 8?,which illustrate the boards when hung on'the verti'-v cal side ot' 1thc.-:\'ault; or they inay,if required, in circumstances hereiuaiter indicated, be

hanged l0il blfilcket'llifid to the bottom orfloorof" the chamber, as shown :in Figs. 45, 6, and 8.- lly hinging','-them :asshown the boards can swing over into the position indicated by 1 in 1 i gs. 8 and or into the position indicated by. the small figure 2 in the same-figures, andy as is readily seen by the diagram eachof them can swing in either direction without intcrfcr-- iug with thosebohindor under them, audican by this manner oi." iiiounting be swung out of I the way; 'This is-cfiectuatcd byplacingtha axes oi'the several sets of hinges along a line whichis substantially at right "angles' to the line showu'as a dotted line, 7.;which' in the two figures,- 5 and 8", bisects the a'ngleibrmedby the two extreme positions of the' lea'f at 1 and 2." ll, now, acable' be brought, as shown in the figures, either to the line of the axis-of the hinge turning ontot'hebozlrd, Whichmay be conveniently-cut away for the easier-manipulation oi" the wire, as shown in Fig. 8, 15, or 15, or to theeud of-the board, as shown-in these or other figures, thcwires from the'cahie or'group oi"condue tors may be spread out in the fan shape and carried to the board. As

theboard then swings on its hinges, the wires.

will bond with it without injury 'and'wi'll not be torn-away, whereas" ifthe' attempt were made to'connect' tl|em withthc opposite or .free edge of the board-8 and 4 in l igz's it would be so"iiicou'yenientas to be practically impossible to swing the boards from one'position to the other.

it is obvious, as hcreinbefore indicated,that the axes around which these folding boards swing-may be either vertical or hori'liontal, as shall be most convenient; if the box is a very largefoiimit may 'be convenient to arrange these axes perpendicularly,so that a man can get into the box'and swing them about at his coni'cnience. lt'it be a smaller one, it will be more convenientto' makeithorizontal, so that amau kneeliugonthe ground outside the box can reach his arm in and expose and 'workat whichever-board he desires; The distance apart from one axis to the other along the line 1 2 at. each box,'and for. that purpose it is convein BEST AVAILABLE COP 3 4 should be from onceand ahalt to twice the total thickness occupied by each leaf, i nerder fcring-wit-h each other; the leaf will be studded with connectin g screws and wires lfprefer abutmeuts, or. ,'separatiugblocks togbo fastened toeachfleaf and bear againstthe next one, as shownwin Fig. Sflsog; as toprotectthc wires and other attachments from injury. In this case, als o,the wires may beheld iuafirin support on thelin'e of the axis, and swinging the connecting-board, will,

i to give room forjthem to swing 'wi'tlioutlinter 7g and as the surface of f simply cause themto bend witlmut'tearing away or prod ucing ,contusion..- i. My invention contemplates board either-alongthe hinge, sideoralongthc two ends of thevboard, and whenthelwires- 8 emerging from the, tubes arethns brought near.

to the hingc'edge or to the ends ofgithc' board they are there attached to convenient bi ndin gsercws. Thescbindirig-screws may heperma; neutl y connected in any way that ibis-desired, Foriexample, permanent connections-maybe made to run the-lengtlnof the boardgor they, maybe :made to connect the eudwiresfsvith the-side-w.ires;-.- on they may-be made itoieonr;

side wires,:as' may be most .desirablecr con venient in anyparticular case.

-In thissystemf of electrical conductors-ibis desirable toho -able-to readily. tcsti anyawirc i'enttohe'able to attach a telephone or other testingrinstrumei t'by connectin git into-pr art-. 1 tachingit-to thQIOlXClllli 'at'any wireinside each box, ilt would of-cou'rsc be possible to interpose in the wire; permanently attached-to the board a spring-jackor =other: well-known 'contrivance of that character by which a'testiuginstrument could be-plugge'd-into the line; but

all the :con-trivances;knownrior' that purpose are more elaborate and expensivc'than is needed'for'an apparatus w-hichfwill bewusedibnt seldom. 1 have therefore devised a-cheap contriyance 'whichfissuiiicient-for this purpose. In Figs 15f15, and 15 I show: se'veral suchcontr'ivan'ces. In'Fig. 15 the permanent I wires shownare" strained i'rom scrc'w'sat one end of theboard to thcother; Underneath the wire a hole is bored through so thatiit's center will be a littleway from the lineyof; wire. Upon plugging "into that hole alittle plug'coin i nected with a t'elepho'ne,'as shown,.i n;} ?ig. :15,

malaise thewires shall be broughttoisuch afolding the wire which is strained bet-ween the-two screwsis deflected from its true'lin and its elasticity creates pressure enough oni't-he sur.\ face of the metal-plu'gto make a. g'oodaelectrical 1 contact. Ifde'sire'd, an abutment with insulatin g facing (or the whole abutment in'ay be made of wood) can be placed slightly on one side of the wire, and the whole made as shown in Fig. 15 or at't,'Fig. l5. In that case, when themetallio plug isput in, the contact-press ure on the wire is obtained not merely by its own elasticity, but by squeezing it or wedging it against the non-conducting abutment 1 In.

BEST AVAILABLE COP 4 seems this case there is less strain on the wire. and

less necessity for keeping it tightly stre; .hed.

lt'is also practicable to attach a screw-vise to the telephone-cord, and with that to nip the connecting-wire: A

' ii the connecting-wires are corered with kerite or other convenient insulator, it will be necessary to scrape it away for a small distance at the place where the telephone-connection is to be made.

- Each testing box, vault, or chamber is provided with a suitable lid .or 'coveqE, which should tit, tightly, so as to prevent any moist urc l'rom obtaining ingress, as I conceive the exclusion of moisture one of the chief objects of my invention, inasmuch, as by theachievemeut of such exclusion I may dispense with a wires, and aiu enabled to employ ordinary cotton covered wires.

To prevent the possibilityof damage or injury tothc tubes or" conductingwires or-test-' boxes arising t'roin'the settling ol' the earth under and around my appliances, 1 provide a slide-joint, which is shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

' 'lhc'chainbcrillustratcd in Fig.9 isconstruoted of wood,'with apertures i through which the pipes bentcr.

said cleats and on the face of the wall w-is atlat plate or collar or valve, 'h, through which the pipe b projccts into the chamber.-' The packing k isappfl'ied to the. pipe b in the form of a washer, and'is held in place by means of a'rigid-washer,j;lbolted topiece h, the inner edge of washelf jbeing beveled, as shown in 0 Fig. 9, 'to.-- ress -th c packing more closelyagainst pipe b, .making a tight joint.

. It .is evident that such a construction obs/i ates any evil result which might be expected to accrue from settling of the ground, since whenover the test-boxer. tube becomes depressed I the valve It has suflicientlap over the aperture 13 to prevent theaccess of foreign and obnoxious matter, and as the pipe bis not rigidly attached toitheiwalls of the chamber and has .50 sufficient scope of movement in the entering aperture either pipe or chamber may siukconsiderably without causing a violent strain. Thus the possibility of anyinjury arising from this cause is greatly diminished? 5 A simple and practical method of bringingthe conducting-wires from their subterranean bed to anydesired point is shown in Fig. 16. H

H represent buildings facing several streets.

M is an area iuthe rear of a block of such buildings. K is a cupola. or central testingor connection box upon the roof of one of the houses in'the block. Eis a test-box suchas herc'inbefore described, from which tubes containing wires radiate. One of thesetube-lines leads 01f to the auxiliary test-box E,- from which it is le beneath the pavement to the iuclosed, area I, and there protected in any lead pipe, at.

suitable manner-as, for example, induced in The wires emerge from' the" ground and are led up the side of the-building; o. to the cupola or test box K, where they are?" separated one from another and divergeto the,

different houses in the blockgigls shownby the 2s dotted lines a.- v 'Theconnection-board and other apparatus 7 described are to be used in the aerial testing box, so far-as they are-applicable, and they may also be used in a t'est-borupou the surface of the ground, where such a construction is necessary; or desirable, the box being 0t course provided with a suitable-door and lock to v preventunauthorized admission. Underground conductors can be'connectedwith'suclx surface-box by suitable bends. high degree of insulation upon the conducting- Having now described my i u. vention,' I 8 claim-:-

'containin g insulated wires,w it l 1 a series of test boxes or chambers connecting the difi'erent sections of the said tubes, and coutaiuingconnec tion-boards provided with individual bindingscrews-counccted together in pairs by conductors' attached to said boards, as'described, Attached perpendicularly to the external 0- surface of the walls of the vault are two lrab beted cleats, g 9, (see Fig. 10,) while surround: ing the pipe I) and sliding in the rabbets of.

combined with-a testing orconnecti' board or boardsfitted with bindiu'g-screwmandgzdapted to act as an intermediate connector between l 0 different wires enieringthe said chamber, the" said boards being hinged and adapted to swing on their axes, and thereby assume any desired. position, substantially as specified.

3. A counection-boardhinged or pivoted to upits supports,- and provided with binding-screws,

' substantially as and for, the purpose, described.

at in the herein-describedsystem of underground electrical conductors, a series of test- :in g or connecting boards placed in a flush-box, 1 1 5,.-

testing-chamber, or vault, andiranged iii front of one another, as described, each board being hinged separatelyfat its edge to a stationary bracket, the several hinges being successively ranged iri'ditferent planes, as and for the pur- I20- posespecified. 4

5. The combination, with a stationary bracket, post, or jaw, of a seriesof testing-boards hinged thereto at different successive and pro portionate distances from the central line of ms.

the said bracket, substantially as described.

6. In a system of underground electrical c0uducting or testing chambers or vaults, a test- -ingor connecting board hinged to a fixed axis to admit of being swung in either'direetion, 0

- sires entering the said chamber from one di- 7'. la a system of subterranean tubes and test-irig-chambers connecting the ditt'erent sections of the same, the combination, with a testing-chamber and tube, of the elastic packing material placed in position at the end of the tube, a gland for compressing the same, and the screws whereby the said gland is attached, or their equivalent, substantially as described.

The cmnl-ination, with an underground testing-ehtnnlmr and tube entering the same, of the -lit'iU;ll-illt between the said. tube and the wall oi" said chamber, Substantially as described.

9. in a test-box, and in combination with the conductors entering said box and the wires connecting and completing the circuits of said -onductors, a branch testing-circuitand means, as indicated, for electrically connecting the branch circuit with any one ofsaid connectingwires without breaking their connection with their respective conductors, substantially as described. Y

10. The combination, with a connection- BESTAVAILABLE COP- board having a series of wires led over its surface, and-abutments adjacent to said wires, of

a flexible conducting-cord connected with a testing-circuit, and a. plug or wedge for makin g contact'wit-h any one of said wires by wedging the wire between itself and the adjacent abutment, substantially 'as described.

11. A conneetion hoard having electrical line-wires carried over its surface, connected by binding-screws, in combination with testin g apparatus and devices for connecting the same to the said line-wires, consisting of a telephone one terminal of which is connected to the ground and the other to a plug or wedge, a hole perforated in the testing-board under each wire for the insertion of the said wedge, and an abutment of non-conducting inateriai, it, against which the wire to be tested is pressed to insure a good electrical connection, as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name s this 31st day of ()eio- 

